


The Windows to the Soul

by TheWholeDamnTime



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Forgive me for being shipper trash, One-Shot, POV Third Person Limited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 07:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8615212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWholeDamnTime/pseuds/TheWholeDamnTime
Summary: A mixture of a written appreciation of Newt's character and happy shipper fluff as Newt and Tina share their first kiss.





	

There was something in the way he looked.

Not in his appearance, no, not in the way his coat was always neatly wrapped around him or his scarf was a haphazardly thrown afterthought. It’s the fascination that he held in his gaze, the utter focus, the reverence and respect for the thing at his fingertips. It’s the light sparkling through the light brown, the flecks of gold and green reflecting the awe he holds for the world around him, the concentration that echoes through each layer of color. She saw it when he lifted an occamy hatchling from its nest, fingers idly brushing its jewel feathers as it croaks up at him. As Dougal the demiguise locked eyes and reached up to curl his fingers around one of Newt’s with a growing smile. When the heard of moon calves bounced around his ankles for pellets, it flickered over each and every one. It’s warm and full of heartfelt emotion, so pure that she can’t help but lean back on the gently creaking wood of the shack and watch as he smiled and cooed to each and every creature he tended to. 

It had been almost a year since he had first come to New York, almost a year since she had last seen him, and now all she could do was watch with the edges of her lips curled up in a soft smile. Fingers idly rubbed over soft red leather’s bumps and ridges, delicately highlighted with a golden ink reading “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. The text was a steady weight in her hands, resting comfortably on her lap. She was supposed to be reading, her gaze sweeping over the many pages and products of his adventures, but all she can do is watch as he paused to offer the niffler a coin from his pocket, stifling a small giggle as the greedy creature accepted the gift and promptly dove into his coat looking for more. Once freed of its grasping paws, the magizoologist turned back to her, smiling and eyes still full of the light she loved. Once they focused on her, though, it faded, and she felt a soft pang in her chest.

She’d never admit it out loud, but he’d been on her thoughts more than reasonable. Queenie knew, of course, but would rarely mention it. It was a haunting hum in the back of her mind, a light reminder every time a billywig would buzz by or a passing car sounded a touch like the nundu’s roar. It was a quiet loneliness only sated by an owl swooping through her window with a new, carefully penned letter. They sat beneath her bed in a box, in a neat little pile with the most recent on the top and the first on the bottom, edges worn and words practically memorized. 

“Did you not like it?”

His voice shook her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see him with concern written over every feature, pausing only to dust off his hands before he sat down next to her. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him, their blue coats lightly brushing shoulders as she watched him settle.

“Oh, no,” she replied quickly, a quick moment realization as the pieces snapped into place. “No, I’m sure it’s lovely. I just- I- I simply missed this place.” It was a feeble offer at best, and so she took a breath before continuing, “It’s just so wondrous down here, with all of these areas and creatures, I just wanted to take it all in.” The worry on his face slowly melted away as she spoke, and her hastily beating heart relaxed with its disappearance. 

“They really are amazing,” he says softly, and that beautiful look is back in his eyes as he gazes over everything he’s brought together and created. He looks back to her, and his eyes have kept that wonder as they meet hers. It sweeps her breath away. “I really do hope you’ll enjoy it. I wanted you to have the first copy I could get.”

“I’m sure I will.” She smiles, and he smiles, and there’s a second of warmth before she realizes there is no plan for what’s next. It comes as a pause, an awkward silence as they finally break eye contact and look anywhere but each other. Her fingers run over the book cover and pause to sweep over his name carefully etched into the leather, back and forth, the motion calming the frantic creature inside her ribcage. 

“I- I hope it’s not overstepping any boundaries to say you were in my thoughts rather frequently over these past months.” She looks up, and he’s staring at the ground, his eyes flicking between different rocks and twigs poking from the soft soil. “I truly enjoyed the company your letters brought.”

“I’m glad.” Eyes flickered up to hers in surprise, almost like he wasn’t expecting an answer. “You’ve been on my thoughts as well,” she said softly. There is no script for this, and the creature in her chest has never felt more bare. It’s something vulnerable and tender as she continues, “I loved your letters. It was as though I could experience these wonderful things with you, even if only through your descriptions.” He nods and she can see the barest hints of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m glad.” He paused, then after a moment- “I wish you had been there.”

“Me too.” It’s quiet again but for the lowering of the erumpent in the distance, but this time they do not break their eye contact. His eyes are beautiful, and in this moment of anticipation and the creature in her chest running like a hare, she can’t bring herself to look away.

“Miss Goldstein-”

“Tina.” Her name is almost breathless as it sweeps off her tongue.

“What?” Something else flickers across his expression- doubt, or worry, and it quickens the fear in her heart.

“Call me Tina,” she says softly.

“Of course, Tina- you can call me Newt, of course,” he says, bumbling over the words like they can’t flow out fast enough. “I- I hope I’m not impolite to- no, if- if I’m misreading things, please, stop me- but, well, may I- may I kiss you?” he manages to stutter out, eyes flickering away as he finally manages to blurt out his question.

“Newt,” she says, softly, just barely there on a breath of a whisper. He looks up, and she doesn’t think she can ever tire of his eyes. “Of course you can.”

Emotions flashed through his eyes too numerous to count and she was smiling as the edges of his lips curled up and the anxiety melted away. His hand came to her cheek and he closed the small space between them slowly, carefully, like he was scared she might push him away and run. It was a soft kiss, gentle and careful as they tested the waters and brought themselves together. His thumb ran gently over her cheek, a soft caress that was as tender as the man she’d fallen for. She shifted so that her hand could rest on his knee and she could lean into him a little more, get that much more lost in the sensations sweeping away any thoughts but of him.

When they pulled apart, there was a moment that she kept her eyes shut, savoring the feelings bubbling inside of her. Eyes flickered open dreamily, her mouth curling in a smile as she found his gaze waiting for her.

It took her breath away. She had never been seen with such intensity of emotion before, and it made her heart overflow to the point of bursting. It was the look in his eyes that he held when he beheld his creatures; the awe, the amazement, the respect, the reverence- and most purely of all, the love. It was all there, and she could barely breathe from the pressure in her chest. Slowly, his free hand found hers and their fingers intertwined, their gazes breaking to look down at the gentle grasp of fingers between them. Gently, she shifted so she could rest her head against his shoulder, looking out at the moon calves and the graphorns in peaceful bliss, their bodies pressed together on the porch of the little cabin in the case.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about this movie, essentially all of them good. 
> 
> I'll start with the fact that I feel a very strong connection with Newt's character. I'm currently studying to be an ecologist, and have worked in native species' rescue and rehabilitation for about 6 years now, so seeing someone in the wizarding world involved in that job was amazing for me, even before I saw the movie. When I did see the movie, my initial reaction was a mixture of two things: 1- look, it's me and 2- oh my god, that's the kind of guy I want to date. Yeah, if you go with both of them at the same time, it's a little weird, but individually, they work. I speak to my animals in the same way, call myself their parent, and completely connect with being closer to animals than people more often than not. It was like a little piece of me was on that screen, and it was incredible. It even had a bonus side dish of subtly pushing the message of conservationism, which is always a nice touch. 
> 
> Let's address the second point, though- I totally want a human like this. I'm not gonna go too in-depth here, but suffice to say I have always kind of had a thing for Hufflepuffs and this probably isn't helping. I especially loved the way it was shown that he has not only an amazing amount of love for these creatures, but that above all else he respects them. It's all in his expression, and I wanted to really emphasize that here (see the entire second paragraph, which is essentially an ode to said expression). 
> 
> Finally, I really do love the relationship that he and Tina foster over the course of the movie. I just kind of wanted to create something that embodied all of these emotions I have over these characters, so here- pure fluff spewed out in about an hour and a half that I should have been sleeping for. Comments and critiques are my lifeblood, so please, feel free to leave a message! Thanks so much for reading, loves, and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> P.S. To any of my FitzSimmons followers/friends, sorry I dropped off the map. I haven't been keeping up since I got a job and college has been kicking my butt. I'm going to try to catch up over winter break, promise! Then, of course, more content will be coming your way :P I do have to note that at the end of the last school year, my hard drive broke and I lost all of the upcoming chapters I had planned for A Lucky Miss, and I'm afraid I don't remember exactly what I wrote... But I will try and finish it, since it is one of my most popular pieces! Thanks again for reading, and I promise more content will be posted sometime soon!


End file.
